


An Eye for A Soul

by HildegardBi



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Buzzfeed: Worth It (Web Series)
Genre: Demonic Possession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2020-10-12 01:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20555771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HildegardBi/pseuds/HildegardBi
Summary: Shane pisses off an actual demon (not for the first time), and the demon decides to piss off Shane even more.





	1. Hey There Demons

"Well, this is fucking terrifying." Ryan stares into the camera, smiling weakly. He's already got that panicked look in his eyes. This will definitely be a fun one.

Shane claps his hands together. "Alright Ryan! Tell the viewers where we are!"

Ryan clears his throat. It's still light out. Just for some preliminary shots, but it's still creepy as hell. He takes a deep breath. "Today we are investigating Stull Cemetery in Kansas as part of our on-going investigation into the question: are ghosts real?" Shane gives his little head shake. "This cemetery is one of the most infamous places, being rumored to have a 'Gateway to Hell', making it my one demonic sacrifice for the season."

"Wait, a 'Gateway to Hell'? Ryan, that's more than one demon!" Shane laughs. Oh boy, he's definitely going to have good time.

Ryan smiles slightly, but his wide eyes show he's panicking. "Well, I'm making a hell of a sacrifice I guess. Let's get into the history of it." Ryan launches into his spiel, calming down a bit as he focuses on nailing his narrative, trying to ignore how fucking terrifying it is. "In 1933, Pope John Paul the II ordered that his flight be redirected around the graveyard 'because even the air above it was tainted by evil'."

Shane wheezes. "You're telling me (wheeze)... the Pope rerouted his flight because of a cemetery?"

"It's not just a cemetery. It's a Gateway to Hell. It's unholy land."

"How do think that conversation went?"

"Hey uh... we gotta fly around this cemetery."

"Pope said it was unholy. Air's tainted. Gotta make a detour."

Ryan wheezes. "Better, uh, better bless the plane when we land." Shane wheezes, and the two take a second to regroup before Ryan continues the history.

"So, it looks like it's starting to get dark," Ryan says looking around the graveyard. He shivers and clutches his holy water pistol. Shane laughed at him, especially for getting a holster to put it in, but Ryan's not taking any chances tonight. "We're going to go to investigate the cemetery before moving on to the Evangelical Emmanuel Church that is reportedly possessed by the Devil."

"The Devil?" Shane wheezes. "Ryan, you're really outdoing yourself!"

"Shut up big guy."

Shane stares at gravestone split apart by the giant tree that Ryan's explaining the history behind. "So this tree is where they would hang witches." Ryan looks up at the tree. He keeps his distance from the gravestone. "And it's part of the reason why Stull is so infamous. But what's even more infamous is this grave." Ryan gestures for the cameras to zoom in on the grave that says, "Wittich".

Shane smirks. Ryan knows that look. "What's so spooky about this grave?"

"Well, supposedly it's where the Devil's child is buried."

Shane laughs. "You're telling me the Devil has a kid? He's a dad?"

Ryan wheezes. "The legends say that the Devil emerges from the church twice a year, and that one time when he emerged--"

"Ryan, are you about to tell me that you believe someone had sex with the Devil?" Shane says incredulously. Seriously, how can someone so smart believe in such bullshit?

"That's just what the legends say," Ryan says shrugging. "We'll get more into the history of the church--"

"No, you're not getting out of this. Do you, Ryan Bergara, believe that the Devil came up from hell for a day trip to have sex with someone?" Ryan wheezes. When Shane says things like that, it always sounds so ridiculous. A lot less creepy than how other sources worded it.

"No comment." Ryan smirks. "There's also a story about a man who went missing and was found hanging from this tree. Some people say he did it himself, but others think it was something more sinister."

Shane squats down next to the grave. "Seems like a great spot for a spirit box session," Shane suggests placing his hand on the grave. Ryan winces. It's just a grave. It's so funny Ryan thinks it's something else. It's just old rock.

Ryan nods. "Alright, let me set it up." He pulls out the spirit box and turns it on. The loud static is such a shock compared to the quiet of the night. "My name's Ryan, and this is my friend Shane. Can you say our names back to us?" Ryan pauses and waits.

There's a burst of static, which of course Ryan thinks is a spirit trying to communicate. "Can you repeat that please?"

"Get--- off."

"Oh! I heard that one!" Shane exclaims gleefully. Ryan almost looks sick. "Get off? Oh, am I standing on your son's grave?" Shane looks down and smiles. "Maybe I'll do a little dance for him." Shane starts stomping around, waving his arms and kicking around like a maniac.

"---re-ga-ret---"

"Regret?" Ryan says frowning. "Do you regret something?"

They wait a while for an answer, but there's just static. Ryan turns off the machine, and they both sigh with relief. That thing is too damn noisy. "Alright, let's move on."

Ryan stands outside the dilapidated church. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Was he really going to do this? "Well, this is it. The Evangelical Emmanuel Church. Rumored to be a meeting place for occultists and witches. It's also where they would perform rituals."

"This is the church? Ryan, it looks like an old cabin that feel apart!" Shane stares at the cobblestone ruins. It's just four walls. Sure, it has openings for windows and you can see it used to have a high roof, maybe even a steeple, but there's not much left. "There's not even a roof!"

"Reportedly it doesn't even need a roof. When it rains, it supposedly always stays dry inside the church."

Shane exclaims, "That's bull! That goes against the laws of nature!"

"This is a Gateway to Hell, Shane. It doesn't have to follow the laws of nature." Shane sputters.

Ryan wraps his hand around his holy water. Are they really going in there? "No use dawdling," Shane says. "Why don't we investigate alone? Ten minutes each. That'll be fun buddy!"

Ryan's mouth drops open. "It'll be good for the views," TJ agrees from behind the camera.

"Alright," Ryan concedes. "But before we do our individual investigations, I have to cover some more of the legends."

"Deal," Shane agrees. "And then it's time to talk to the Devil!"

How can Shane be so nonchalant about all this? Sure, he doesn't believe, but can't he feel how negative the energy is here? How weirdly quiet it is? "This church is rumored to have a staircase to Hell itself. There are two legends about this staircase. One says that it's sealed except for two days of the year when it's revealed and the Devil can surface."

"What two days?" Shane prompts smirking.

"The Spring Equinox and Halloween."

"Halloween!" Shane wheezes. "Oooh! The spooky day!"

"Celtic mythology says that Halloween is actually the day when spirits can wander the Earth," Ryan argues. Shane just shrugs. Stubborn as ever.

"Alright, what's the other legend?"

"The other legend is that there's a staircase on the righthand side of the church." Ryan gestures to his left. "Reports say that the cover of it is hidden by overgrown grass and that its really hard to find. But if you do find it and venture down it, it feels like you're being dragged down. And when you come back up, it feels like no time's passed, but in reality, you've been gone for two weeks."

Shane smiles. "Oh boy! I can't wait to find those stairs."

"Who's going first?" TJ asks. Ryan usually goes second, just to have the episode end on a spookier note, but TJ figures if Ryan gets it done sooner, he's less likely to have a panic attack. And Shane will probably make some jump scare at the end like he did at Bobby Mackey's.

Ryan looks at Shane. If he lets Shane go first, he won't have to go in yet. But Shane will probably piss off whatever is in there, and then Ryan will be stuck in there for ten minutes. There's not even a door and you can see in easily, but Ryan does not want to be in there alone with a pissed off demon. "I'll go first."

"Wow! You're getting brave little guy!" Shane says. He almost sounds proud.

"Shut up." TJ helps Ryan get set up with the equipment and gives him the all clear. "Okay, here I go."

Ryan slowly walks into the church. He looks back at Shane. "Ten minutes? Really?"

"Ten minutes," Shane says smiling. Ryan's brain is going to melt.

"Alright, here we go... to the Gates to Hell." Ryan's breathing is heavy. It's probably going to cover some of the other sounds he'd get.

Ryan crosses over what must have been the doorway and looks around. "No roof. Too bad it isn't supposed to rain tonight. That'd be kinda cool." Ryan chuckles to himself. It's not that big of a space, but there's symbols on the walls and something else in the center. "According to reports, some occultists actually still use this church... so... let's hope I don't run into any cause I don't think this will do anything." Ryan holds up the water gun and chuckles again.

He does not want to communicate with anything, but the silence is too much. "I'm going to do a quick spirit box session." Ryan turns on the spirit box. As much as he hates the noise it makes, it is comforting to him. "My name's Ryan. If someone's hear with me, can you say my name back to me?" He waits for a bit, but there's no response. That's good, right? Jesus fucking Christ, this is insane. He can't even get himself to move more than four feet from the door. Ryan swallows. "Can you say Ryan?" After a minute, there's no response. As much as he hates to do it, he knows he needs to move on and do something else. He needs to get some proof.

"Alright, last chance." Please let there be a little something. Not much, just an excuse to keep it on. But of course, there's nothing. Ryan turns off the spirit box. He takes a few more steps in. "The energy in here is really overwhelming. I'm actually feeling kinda sick," Ryan admits.

"Ryan, did you say you feel sick?" TJ calls from outside. "You have five more minutes, but we can cut it short if you need a break."

"I'll be fine!" Ryan yells back. He cannot give Shane the satisfaction.

He walks towards the center of the church, where there's-- of course-- a pentagon with some small bones on top of it. "Fuck," Ryan whispers. "Looks like someone did a ritual here." He takes a few steps back. His heart feels like its going to explode.

"Three minutes!" TJ yells. It doesn't feel like it's been that long. TJ's probably shortening his time without telling him. Thank God. Ryan doesn't think he can last much longer in here without going insane. Or throwing up.

"I thought the mission we went to was bad, but this is insane," Ryan says laughing weakly. "There's so many symbols here, and I don't know how old that... that is." Ryan points his camera to the pentagon. "I really hope there's nothing scheduled for tonight." It's a lame joke. He knows that. But he can't think straight enough. Maybe its the energy of this place, maybe it's cause he's panicking. Who knows?

"Time!" Shane calls.

"Thank God," Ryan sighs. He hurries out of the church and breathes in, already feeling better. He strips off the equipment and put it on.

"Rock and roll buckaroos!" exclaims Shane as soon as he's all set up. He practically sprints into the church. Ryan shakes his head.

TJ looks at Ryan. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yea, it's good to be out of there. I'm glad I got it over with," Ryan says. "I wonder what idiotic thing Shane will do."

"Alright," Shane whispers rubbing his hands together. "This is the right side of the church, where the staircase should be. I'm gonna find it."

Finding the stairs is harder than Shane anticipated. He's practically on his hands and knees searching through the grass. "Come on," he whispers to himself. Most likely the staircase doesn't even exist, but if it does, imagine Ryan's reaction when Shane goes down it! Oh! Shane could make Ryan go down it with him! That would be hilarious.

"Aha!" Shane exclaims. Underneath a spiky shrub is a hatch with a handle. There's moss on the hatch, which makes it blend in with the ground. Shane stands up and and examines where the hatch is, committing the shrub to memory. It's the only one like it, so it should be easy to find again.

"Ryan's gonna flip when he sees this," Shane whispers to the camera. He smirks. "Ohh looky here!" He points down to the pentagon. "Oh, shit, are those bones?" He zooms in on the pentagon. "Oh, that's actually creepy. I wonder what they are."

"Time!" Ryan yells.

"Come here!" Shane yells back. "I wanna show you something."

Ryan grumbles a quiet, "Fuck you" as he enters the church again with TJ following him. "I did not anticipate having to come back in here," Ryan says. His face has gone pale. Maybe this is too much, but if they leave without examining the staircase, Ryan would be upset. Shane knows it. He hates this, but he loves it. He just needs that push.

"Look what I found," Shane announces. He pulls open the hatch and gestures to the staircase. "Ta-da!"

"Fuck," Ryan chokes out. "No way."

"Whattaya say little guy? Shall we?" Shane offers.

"I'm gonna stay right here," Ryan says shaking his head. "You have fun."

"TJ, this is all go to do, right?" Shane asks looking down the stairs. It's pitch black. As funny as it will be, it might be dangerous.

TJ shrugs. "I'm not sure. Ryan?"

"There's no keep out sign," Ryan says softly. "But it looks like no one knew it was here."

Neither of them know what to tell Shane, but Shane has his mind made up. He's already gotten this far, and the viewers will be mad if he doesn't go through with it. "I'll check it out. I won't go too far," Shane says. He checks his equipment. "Alright. Ready?"

"Wait!" Ryan says. He starts rummaging in his pockets.

"I don't need any holy water," Shane says rolling his eyes.

"No," Ryan holds out his hand. "Extra batteries. Just in case. It's pretty dark down there." Okay, that's actually pretty reasonable. Shane nods and takes the extra batteries. "Be careful big guy."

Shane smiles and pockets the batteries. His entire persona changes as he turns back to the staircase. "Devil! Here I come!" He starts walking down the staircase, shouting taunts as he goes. "I already have the Goatman's Bridge! Maybe I'll add your Gate to my collection!"

Ryan shares a look with TJ. "The man's insane," he says shaking his head.

TJ smiles slightly as he hears Shane shout again. His voice echoes back up to them, sounding strange. "Coward! Show yourself!"

The steps are so worn down, Shane has to be extra careful and slow. As much as he'd love to run down the stairs and find the bottom, he'd probably hurt himself. And getting out of here would not be easy hurt.

"Ryan would lose his mind down here," Shane says shining the flashlight down the stairs, where the light shines faintly on a turn up ahead.. "I still can't see the end." He looks back. "I've probably gone down a flight or so. There was a turn back there, so I can't see Ryan and TJ anymore. I'll go for two more turns and then head back."

"It's actually pretty peaceful down here," Shane says reaching the turn. He loses his footing and almost slips. "Shit!'

"Are you okay?" TJ yells down.

"Fine! Just wasn't paying attention! I'm going to walk a bit more and then come up!"

"Okay! Just be careful!"

Shane walks a bit slower, taking more care with each step. "I don't think he's gonna show tonight," Shane says sighing. "Weak Devil can't even use his own staircase."

The light hits the next wall, but it doesn't look like there's any more stairs after it. "Looks like I found the bottom!" Shane yells up. He doesn't hear anything. They might not be able to hear him.

That's a terrifying thought.

Shane reaches the wall and looks out. "Whoa," he says shining his light into the room. It's filled with sarcophagi and old skulls. "This is... this is actually really creepy." He takes a few more steps. It's a small room. There's no more stairs, no door or anything. Just an old crypt.

He might not believe in ghosts or demons or the Devil, but standing in a room filled with skulls is still weird as hell. "Big surprise," Shane says loudly. "No ghosties in here!"

Slowly, he turns around and examines the sarcophagi. They're all made of stone, with names and symbols carved into them. Too bad Ryan wasn't down here with the spirit box. If any place had evidence, it'd be a place like this.

"Well, aren't you going to show yourself?" Shane taunts. Of course, nothing happens.

All in all, pretty successful, but the same as it would have been with Ryan. Would it be worth it to bring Ryan down here? This place might actually destroy Ryan's little mind.

Shane walks up the stairs slowly. When he sees Ryan and TJ, he calls up, "There's a crypt down there Ryan! Should we check it out together?"

Ryan hesitates. "A crypt?" Maybe not a Gateway to Hell, but still creepy as hell. Especially when it's under a satanic cult's church. Was he really going to do this? "It'll be goo for the views. And maybe we'll find some proof." Ryan rubs his neck. "I dunno though..."

"It's a little creepy, but it should be good for a spirit box session," Shane says. He reaches the top of the stairs. "Then we'll be out of here. It'll make for a really great episode. The fans will go nuts."

Oh my god, he was going to to this. Ryan swallows. "Alright," he agrees. "One quick session. Are you coming down Teej?"

"We'll get better shots if I join you," TJ says. "Just give me a minute to get set."

The three of them stay silent until TJ gives them a thumbs up. "Lead the way Madej."

Shane smirks up at them as he starts to descend the stairs.

Ryan follows him, his hands shaking. He feels lightheaded again, but that's probably just anxiety. Right?

"Here we come!" Shane sings down the stairs. "I'm bringing my friend with me this time! I think you'll like him! He's a great guy! Scary guy! Got a pistol of holy water to take you down!"

Ryan chuckles, feeling a bit more brave. He does have his holy water. "Yea, don't mess with me!"

"Oh! He's feeling tough! Better watch out!" Shane waves his hands around.

"Jesus Shane! Be careful," Ryan says. "You're gonna fall."

Shane stops and looks back, eyes mischievous as he says, "I'm always careful!"

Even though it's only three flights of stairs, Ryan feels like they've been walking forever. Shane's started chanting a little song, and it's preventing Ryan from having a full blown panic attack.

"We are the ghoul boys! Here to take your church! We go down your stairs and conquer Hell!" Shane wheezes. "We have the Goatman's Bridge and we beat Sallie too! Most demons are wimps, and you are too!"

"Jesus Christ Shane," Ryan says chuckling nervously.

Shane stops and shines his flashlight into the crypt. "Ah! We've arrived!"

"Oh-- oh fuck. No, no. Fucking hell." Ryan grabs his knees, starting to hyperventilate.

"It's just some skulls, Ry," Shane says walking towards a sarcophagus. "Come look at this." There's a name carved into it, but it's faded. What's not faded is a little pentagon. "Wanna do a spirit box session?"

"Sure," Ryan agrees. He takes a deep breath and stands up. "Should we do anything with the flashlights?"

"Start with the spirit box, and it you don't get a lot, we'll move on to the flashlights," TJ suggests. Ryan nods.

The static from the spirit box starts. It's even louder in the small crypt.

"My name's Ryan, and this is my friend Shane. Can you say our names back to us?"

"R--n. Shhh---nuh."

Ryan's eyes widen and he starts at Shane. "Holy shit, you heard that, right?"

Shane heard something, but definitely nothing concrete. Of course, it was enough for Ryan to believe that there was something with them, and that it was time to ask some more questions. "Are you buried down here?"

More static. Ryan didn't even claim to hear anything. "Is anyone with us?"

"--re--"

"Re? Is your name Ray?" Ryan was really grasping at straws. It was time to start the real show.

"I hear that you know the Devil. Have you seen him? I've been looking for him," Shane says turning around and staring at one of the skulls.

"Shane!" Ryan hisses.

There's nothing from the device. "Ohh, so you're scared now?" Shane taunts. "Say something! I demand you to speak to me!"

They wait, giving it a minute or two, but there's nothing. Ryan turns off the spirit box. It feels too quiet, but Shane of course sighs with relief. "Oh, that was loud that time," he says rubbing his head. "Gimme a second, and then we'll do a session with the flashlights."

Ryan nods as Shane drinks some water. There's no great place to put the flashlights. There's the wall with the skulls, and then the sarcophagi. It takes some time, but Ryan eventually finds a ledge on the stone wall where the flashlights fit. He turns them almost on and places them down. "All set?"

"All good," Shane says putting his water away. The two of them stand next to the flashlights.

"If someone is here with us, could you turn on the flashlight on the right?" Ryan asks. Slowly, the flashlight turns on. Ryan's eyes pop open and he grabs his head. Shane laughs.

"We got a brave one!" Shane says laughing. His voice drops to a creepy whisper. "Your other pals weren't so brave against us! You know the Goatman? We took his bridge. Now we're going to take your church. If you think you can stop us, turn off the light on the right, and turn on the light on the left." The flashlight on his right starts to flicker. "Can't turn it off? You're weak! Weak demon!"

"Oh my god," Ryan whispers shaking his head. "You're insane."

"See, nothing happened," Shane says laughing. "If you can't do it, I'm gonna take this church! I will control the Gateway to Hell!" Shane's voice loudness, filling the room.

"Jesus Christ."

"Once I control the Gateway, I will reign supreme over you and all your little buddies! I can't wait to visit your pal Sallie and tell her what a coward you are."

"No... no!" Ryan says, realizing what Shane's saying. "We're not going back there."

The light turns off, and it's pitch black for a second. "Shit. Shit shit shit. OH MY GOD!" Ryan screams as the other flashlight turns on.

"Ryan, we got a fighter!" Shane announces as he laughs. He says it like they're fishing, not talking to a ghost, demon, or something way, way worse. Ryan puts his hand on his water gun. "If you'd like to kill Ryan, switch the lights again."

"Wha-- no! Don't involve me in this!" Ryan shouts. He stares at the light, waiting. If it turns off...

"I guess it likes you Ry!" Shane jokes.

"Don't say it like that. That's more terrifying," Ryan says shuddering.

"More terrifying than it wanting to kill you?" Shane teases.

"No, that's not what I-- you know what, fuck you Shane," Ryan says.

"If you'd like to hurt me, switch the lights again!" Shane demands. He lowers his voice and speaks in that creepy voice of his again. "As if you could hurt me. Coward!"

They wait a minute, and when nothing happens, Shane laughs. "See? Just a bunch of bologna. Let's head out. Those skulls are freaking me out."

"Alright big guy," Ryan says smiling. He practically runs up the stairs.

When he reaches the top, he looks back down. Just as Shane reaches the top, he loses his balance and almost falls back. "I got you!" Ryan shouts grabbing Shane's hand and steadying him. "Jeez, Shane!"

"Woah, that was almost really bad," Shane jokes wiping his brow.

TJ emerges behind Shane. "Closing shot?"

"Yes!" Ryan says, relief filling his whole body.

After a second, TJ is set for the final shot, and gives them a thumbs up. "So we didn't go to Hell today," Shane says smiling.

"Speak for yourself. That was hell for me. I'm ready to get out of this place."

"But it's your church Ryan! Don't you wanna say goodbye, maybe see you later?"

"Fuck that." Ryan walks out of the church, Shane close behind him. "The ghoul boys are out. I'm never coming back to this place again."


	2. Plunge Us Into Darkness

"I cannot fucking believe you dragged me back here," Ryan mutters.

"Hey, I'm not the one who dropped my wallet," Shane says pushing aside a bush and searching under it. "How did you even lose it, Ry?"

Ryan shrugs. "It was in my jacket pocket."

"You gotta zip that shit!" Shane says turning the flashlight to Ryan. "Come on! That's Ghost Hunting 101!"

Ryan squints against the light and argues, "My jacket was zippered. I always keep it zippered, especially in places like this." His eyes widen. "Do you think--?"

"No, let it go," Shane sighs. He turns the flashlight towards the ground. "It probably got snagged on something."

Ryan huffs. He knows his jacket pocket was zippered. But it probably did just get caught on something, right? It's not like a demon would just steal his wallet. He shivers. "Yea, you're probably right." At least, he hope's Shane's right.

"We've done a full search, and we haven't found it yet," TJ says walking towards the boys. "Is there any chance--?"

Ryan shakes his head. "Fuck no, Teej! I'm not going back down there. That place was creepy as shit."

"Alright, stay up here then," Shane says kneeling down. He grunts as he reopens the hatch to the staircase. "Gimme a minute, and I'll be back. Easy-peasy."

TJ looks at Shane, then back at Ryan. If Ryan stays alone up here, he'll have an anxiety attack. Especially if he realizes it's almost 3 a.m.. "I'll stay up here with Ryan," TJ says. "If you can document some of it on your phone, we might be able to add it to the episode. We'll do the same up here."

Shane nods. Of course he had to document himself walking down three flights of stairs while searching for Ryan's wallet. They could be back at their hotel right now. He could be snug as a bug in clean white sheets instead of digging around through grass and bushes. Ryan was gonna pay for this.

After a few steps, Shane pulls out his phone and opens the camera. "So, there's been a little detour in our quest to the hotel," Shane narrates. "Ryan lost his wallet on the way to Hell, and now I have to go back and look for it. Knowing him, he's probably convinced a demon's trying to steal his identity. Maybe even Satan himself." Shane smiles maliciously and laughs. "I'm thinking I might play a little prank on him later, to get back at him for keeping me up yet again. Not sure what I'll do yet, but I'll give him a day to recoup." Shane's smile becomes softer. "Poor guy's all tuckered out from this big investigation. He's gonna sleep for a day after this... or not at all." He chuckles, but honestly, Ryan's night terrors scare the shit out of Shane. He's only seen a few, when they're traveling together, but when it happens, Ryan becomes senseless. He doesn't know who Shane or TJ or anyone else is for that matter, and he screams at them. Tries to fight them and run away. He doesn't snap out of it. Just falls back to sleep... and forgets it. Shane doesn't. He can't.

If that were to happen tonight...

"Shit!" Shane loses his footing, falling forward down the steps. He tries to catch himself, but there's no railing. His hands grab at the wall. He keeps falling, being pulled forward. "Guys! Hel-"

There's a crash.

"Shane?" Ryan shouts. He runs down the stairs, TJ right behind him. "Shane!" Ryan drops down next to Shane. He's crumpled on the floor, his limbs all over the place. There's a cut on his head, but it's not bleeding too bad. "Holy fuck... Shane."

TJ kneels down and presses two fingers to Shane's wrist. "He's still got a pulse. I'll call for help. It's going to be okay."

Ryan nods, wiping at his eyes. His hand shaking, he reaches out and takes Shane's hand. "It's okay, big guy," he whispers. "You're going to be alright."

A hand holds him back, squeezing his shoulder. It's there for him... oh my god, it followed him home and it's--

"Ryan! Ryan, it's just me!" Ryan's eyes snap open, staring at TJ. He rubs his eyes. "I wanted to let you know that Shane's stable. He's got a concussion, and one of his ankles is sprained, but other than that, he's just got a few bruises. We should be able to get out of here and to the hotel soon." Ryan nods. TJ squeezes his shoulder again and then lets go. "I'm going to go make some calls, to his family. Just to make sure they know what's happened. Stay put."

Ryan puts his hand in his pocket, feeling the wallet he thought he'd lost in the church. After the ambulance came, they found it on the roof of the car. Ryan swears he didn't put it there. In fact, he knows he didn't. But if he were to tell that to Shane or TJ... they wouldn't believe him.

Maybe they'd be right not to. It's five o'clock, the sun's rising, and Ryan hasn't slept in over thirty hours. Between all the travel and anticipation-- alright, pure terror, he was going to be exploring a possible Gateway to Hell--, he hadn't slept well the night before the shoot. Maybe it had caught up to him.

Either way, it didn't matter right now. They'd debate it later, once Shane was alright. Until then... Ryan wouldn't bring it up.

It's been two days since they returned, and Shane's still on leave from work. He's doing better, but it's not the same without him here. Ryan hasn't even seen him since the hospital. They went back to the hotel, booked their rooms, and Shane passed out for a full day. Sara actually flew down as soon as she heard. She's been staying with Shane there until he feels okay enough to travel.

According to Sara, Shane's been really out of it. Sleeping a lot, not really fully aware of her or anything. Whenever Ryan calls to check up, she sounds so... sad. He can't even imagine what it's been like for her. Or for Shane.

So when he finally meets with TJ to go over the footage, he avoids mentioning the footage from Shane's phone. He doesn't want to see. He wants to delete it, get rid of it so he can forget that awful noise he heard as Shane screamed at them for help. As he ran down the stairs, too late to--

"We can do this another time," TJ says. He puts his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "We've gotten through most of the footage we'll use, and we can sort out the rest of it later. We don't have to do it all today."

"No, let's get it done," Ryan says shaking his head. "I want to get this project done with as soon as possible."

TJ nods, and continues presenting footage to Ryan, showing what he thinks are the best shots of the location, shots with the best banter, or shots with the most suspense or proof. There's not any shots from Shane's fall. Some shots of him documenting his descent to find Ryan's wallet, some shots of the ambulance, some shots Ryan narrating in the hospital, telling the viewers it'll be okay. That Shane's fine. But no shots of Shane's footage.

They figure out a loose plan for editing it all together, start drafting the layout for the episode. The work helps draw Ryan's attention away from his guilt, but looking at the shots of Shane on the stairs talking about Ryan's wallet... the shots of the ambulance... the shot of Ryan's face when he finds his wallet on the car... he knows it was his fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's a little shorter!


	3. I Just Wanna Talk to the Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane's starting to think he's lost his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to update sooner, but I haven't had much time nor energy to write. Hopefully I'll be able to start updating weekly!

"It feels like my head's filled with cotton," Shane mutters rolling over on the bed. He props himself on his elbows and stares at Sarah as she works at the desk. She's typing away and biting her lip every so often, which she does when she's stumped on something. She's so cute when she's focused. Shane could watch her work for hours.

And that's what he's been doing. Since he woke up in the hospital, everything in his head is muddled. He can't walk straight or think straight or do anything. When Sarah tried to drive him back from the hospital, he got car sick for the first time in his life. He had to throw the door open to avoid puking in her car. The worst part was he had to ride in the car for another twenty minutes on a road so bumpy he could not believe it existed. Sure, they were in the middle of nowhere, but still! It was probably the worst car ride of Shane's life. When they finally got to a hotel, he immediately collapsed on the bed and slept for eleven hours (and twenty seven minutes) straight.

He's been sick before, sure. And of course he's gotten concussions. But he's never felt this tired or muddled before. Like someone took his brain and replaced it with something else. Like cotton balls.

The absolute worst part is he feels like an idiot. He keeps forgetting words for things, and it can take him a few minutes to tell Sarah something as simple as, "Hey, I'm hungry. Do you want to order food?" The other night, he couldn't even remember where he was. He knew he was in a hotel with Sarah, but he couldn't remember how he got there, what state he was in, or what they were doing.

He's a logical person. Not only that-- he's a goddamn genius! And without his brain? He feels empty.

Or he would, if it didn't feel like something was constantly pushing up against his eyes. "Is it too soon-- can I take another... you know..." Shane gestures with one hand, miming swallowing a pill. "One of those things?"

"You take another at nine," Sarah says. Shane glances at the clock. It was 7:42. That meant it was... at least an hour and... and... how many minutes?

He huffs and buries his face in the hotel pillow. It smells like cigarette smoke. They've been here for two days, and it's boring as hell. He can't watch TV, listen to podcasts, use his phone, or do anything besides attempting to talk to Sarah. He hasn't even gotten a chance to talk to Ryan since he was in the hospital. Without Shane there to keep him in check, Ryan's probably theorizing that the Devil himself had tripped Shane. He wheezes, imagining Ryan's reaction if Shane were to come back and tell Ryan that he saw the Devil before he fell. Poor guy would have a heart attack. Probably wouldn't believe him, but oh, it would be so funny.

Sarah closes her laptop and sighs, "Finally."

"Does that mean you'll finally talk to me?" Shane teases. He smiles at her as she turns in the chair and sticks out her tongue.

Sarah scratches her head as she moves from the desk onto the bed. She curls next to Shane, and he flips onto his side. "My brain is fried," she says closing her eyes. "Sleep first."

"Hey now!" Shane pokes her and she giggles. "My brain's the one that's been fried! With rice and onions... and those.. those little green things... you know?" Shane frowns. Hopefully this brain thing's just temporary and he'll be able to think straight soon.

"Peas," Sarah says.

"Yes! Peas!" He wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head.

"But really, Shane, I'm exhausted. My period's coming soon, and my new birth control isn't working as well and I just feel tired and pissy."

"Well, alright, we can sleep," Shane agrees, "as long as you don't make me move."

Sarah giggles and tells him, "I would never!" Her eyes crinkle as she smiles at him. "Wake me up if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay."

In seconds, Sarah's asleep. At first, she's always cute and quiet. Then she starts snoring and drooling. It's a little annoying when Shane's trying to sleep, but still pretty cute.

As much as Shane doesn't want to move, he really has to pee. And he has to brush his teeth before he's able to sleep anyway. He can never sleep if he doesn't brush his teeth. So he carefully lets go and squirms away from Sarah. She doesn't move. Honestly, a whole parade could come through her, marching band and all, and she probably wouldn't wake up. She's such a sound sleeper. Shane wishes he could sleep that well. Especially on overnights when Ryan was constantly prodding him and asking him, "Did you see that?" Or, "Did you hear that?" Or, his personal favorite, "Shane! I think someone stole my phone!" Of course Ryan's phone as just underneath his pillow.

Shane wheezes to himself, turning off the light to the room and turning on the light to the bathroom. For a split second, he's sure he saw someone in the bathroom, but there's nothing there.

Great... was he going to start seeing things now?

"Rise and shine." Shane grumbles, covering his eyes against the light. "We're going home today, whether you like it or not."

Going home? That sounds great. Driving to an airport, dealing with security, and flying on a plane? Mmm... not so much.

With some coaxing and pushing, Sarah gets Shane out of bed, packed, and in the car. Mixing dramamine and Tylenol probably isn't a great idea, but fuck it. It was going to be a long day and he does not want to throw up again.

The airport is thankfully only twenty minutes away, and compared to the airports in LA, it's barely crowded.

Flying was still awful, but by the time Sarah had him back to his apartment, tucked in bed, Shane barely could care about how long the flight felt.

He was snug in his own bed. Sarah had changed the sheets for him, and they were so soft and clean. Obi had gone crazy when Shane first came in, but he had calmed down and had curled up on the floor.

Shane smiles and sighs. It's like he hasn't been home in years. Honestly, he doesn't even know how long it's been, but he couldn't care less. He's home now, his sheets smell clean and not at all like cigarettes, and his head still feels weird, but he's starting to think straight again.

At least, he thinks he is. Until he sees a shadow move along his wall, which is weird cause his blinds are drawn and Obi's asleep on the floor. But it's just a trick his eyes are paying on him because he's tired. It's nothing to worry about.

Shane pulls his covers up. He forgot to turn his heat back on. His room's chilly. Almost cold. But he has extra blankets on his bed, and he's so tired... he'll get up to turn the heat on later.

He blinks his eyes, barely processing the eyes staring into his. He thinks they're black, but it doesn't really matter because he's probably just asleep.

Shane yawns and rubs his eyes. The eyes are gone, but there's still a shadow on his wall. Almost like there's someone standing in his room.

Maybe mixing dramamine and Tylenol wasn't such as great idea. He yawns again, closes his eyes, and figures he'll sort it out in the morning.

Shane doesn't dream that night. Not really. At one point, he feels like he's dreaming, but he's awake in his bed, in his room, with Obi curled up on the floor.

He must be dreaming though because there's the shadow again, with it's eyes red now, watching him. Softly mumbling to itself.

Shane shivers and closes his eyes. Sleep paralysis. He's never experienced it before, and he hopes he never experiences it again. It feels way too real. He opens his eyes again, and the shadow's over him, smiling slightly.

"Still feeling brave?" it whispers in his ear.

Shane closes his eyes and opens them again. He tries to wiggle his toes, but he can't. How long does sleep paralysis last?

He's breathing harder now. He closes his eyes again and tries to calm himself down. There's something cold on his chest. It almost feels like a hand...

The coldness shoves into him, and he gasps, sitting up straight. He coughs and grabs the trash can, puking into it. Shane can't stop shaking.

Fucking hell. That was new.


	4. I'm Demon Proof Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan hears that Shane's back and decides to go for a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the hiatus! Things have been pretty crazy, and I wanted to give this chapter the attention it deserved.

"Shane's back from Kansas," Jen says sitting down across from Ryan.

Ryan nods, swallowing the burrito he was chewing. "Yea, Sarah called yesterday and said that they were flying home."

"Are you excited to see him?" Jen asks. She takes a chip from Ryan's plate.

"Hey! Hands off!" Ryan says. He pulls the plate closer to him. "It's gonna be good to finally see him again, but I just hope he's feeling better." Ryan fidgets with the foil on the burrito. "I've never... I've never heard him scream like that... or seen him... unconscious."

Jen snorts. "Great word choice, Ryan."

"You know what I mean." Ryan huffs and takes another bite of his burrito, chewing it furiously. "He didn't even seem like himself when he woke up at the hospital. He could barely get a sentence out. He couldn't even remember what the word for driving a car was."

Jen nods and reaches for another chip, but Ryan's ready this time. He slaps her hand away and she pouts. "I'm sure he's doing better. Sarah didn't seem too worried when I talked to her."

Well, that meant something. Sarah's a weird combination of very laid back and very high strung. She can become a whirlwind when something's stressing her, so if she's not worried, then Shane must be fine. He must be, right?

"I think I'm gonna see if I can go over tonight," Ryan says. "I just wanna see how he's doing. I feel better if I see him for myself."

"Bring him a beer for me," Jen says. "He's had a rough time."

Ryan shakes his head. "Jen-- he's-he's concussed. He can't have beer. He's been taking Tylenol non-stop for the past-- hands off!" Ryan reacts too late as Jen grabs several chips from his plate. He sighs.

"Too slow Bergara," she says as she chomps down on the chips. "And fuck that. He needs a beer. I'll bring him one myself if I have to."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kelsey says sitting down next to Jen. "Ooh! Chips!" She reaches over and grabs a handful of chips from Ryan.

"Wha-- these are my chips! What are you doing?" Ryan huffs and crosses his arms.

Kelsey's mouth is so full he can barely understand her when she says, "Sorry."

"Shane's back at home," Ryan tells her. "I'm stopping by tonight to see how he's doing."

"Oh yea!" Kelsey covers her mouth with her hand and swallows the chips that had been Ryan's. "That was really scary what happened to him."

"I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner," Jen says shrugging.

Kelsey smacks Jen's arm but Ryan wheezes. "Yea, we do go to some sketchy places. It could've been a lot worse." Ryan takes another bite of his burrito and pauses. Who'd have thought that it would be stairs, not a demon, that would hurt Shane on a shoot? He wheezes again. "And with all the taunting he does? Jeez, he's lucky a demon hasn't killed him yet."

"Do you think he gets haunted and just doesn't notice?" Jen asks.

Ryan shrugs and puts his burrito down. "I dunno. I mean, I've had stuff follow me home before, so I can't even imagine what Shane might bring back with him."

Shuddering, Kelsey says, "I'm glad I don't have your job." Jen nods in agreement.

Honestly, he can't blame them. He must be pretty insane to keep doing this. But he has to prove-- ghosts are real. Imagine Shane's face when he finally gets proof.

"Shane?" Ryan knocks on the door. "It's Ryan. I figured I'd come check on you." He readjusts his grip on the six pack. He still can't believe that Jen convinced him to bring Shane beer.

The door opens, and Ryan smiles at Shane. "Hey Ry. I see you brought the goods."

"I always bring the goods," Ryan jokes handing Shane the beer.

Shane looks exhausted. His eyes are dark, his hair's clumped together and going different directions, and somehow, he doesn't even seem as tall as usual. But he manages to laugh as Ryan comes in and settles on the couch. "How's work been?"

"Oh, you know, same things as usual," Ryan says. "How are you doing?"

Shane shrugs and plops down next to Ryan. "Ah, you know, same old same."

"Shane, c'mon," Ryan says. "You look like death." Shane's quiet. For once. It's really weird actually. Not as nice as Ryan thought it would be. "Seriously, how are you doing big guy?"

"I-I think I'm starting to have sleep paralysis," Shane whispers.

Ryan stares at Shane wide-eyed. "Oh man... that-that really sucks. I'm sorry."

"Nothing you could do about it." Shane smiles slightly. "I'm just really tired. It's pretty shitty having a concussion."

"I'm glad it's just a concussion. I really thought you were dead for a bit." Ryan chuckles slightly, and Shane bursts out laughing.

Shane wipes his eyes and says, "If I died on an investigation-- and ghosts were real--, I would haunt you till the end of days?"

Crinkling his nose, Ryan asks, "Wait, my days or--?"

"The end of days!" Shane waves his hands for emphasis.

"So your ghost would be haunting my ghost?" Ryan wheezes. "How does that work? Would we- would we take turns haunting each other?" Ryan grabs his sides and doubles over. Both of them have broken down into giggles and wheezes. It takes a bit for them to calm down, and then they look at each other and start all over again.

"Oh, it's good to have you back, big guy," Ryan says. "It's been too quiet without you."

"Hey, it's good to be back," Shane says. "Same old routine, same old me."


	5. Always Gotta Think About Stuff, You Know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren't getting better.

It's been a week since he's been home, and Shane still hasn't been able to go into work. He keeps having sleep paralysis and seeing things even once he's up. He keeps getting dizzy and confused, and his headaches aren't getting better. Like, obviously he hit his head when he fell, and sure it was concrete, but it's been over a week! He's just been laying in bed or on the couch in the dark. It's boring, and it should be helping him feel better! At this point, he wants to just say, "Fuck it!" Turn on the TV, blast the radio. Fuck laying here in the dark and not even getting better. Fuck taking three or four naps every day and then barely sleeping at night cause his brain keeps waking up but not sending his body the memo that they're awake. It's shitty. It's real fucking shitty. And he's getting real tired of it.

There's a slight hissing in his ear. "Obi, go back to sleep," Shane mutters turning over. Obi hisses louder. "Obi! Come on!" He opens his eyes, blinking slightly. Obi's standing on his pillow, fur standing up, back arched, hissing at nothing. "It's night time. Night. Time." Obi ignores him and lets out a yowl. It's the first time Obi's ever done that. Shane sits up and rubs at his eyes. "It's okay," he says softly, shushing Obi. He grabs his glasses and puts them on. "There's nothing there, look." For a second, Shane fumbles with the lamp next to his bed. After a second, the light turns on, but it doesn't reach the foot of Shane's bed. The bulb must need to be changed. Usually the lamp lights up the whole room.

The lamp starts dying slowly, and Obi bristles, leaping off the bed and scurrying underneath it. Shane sighs. "Alright, if that's how you want to be." He takes his glasses off and puts them back on his night stand. It's so dark in his room he almost forgets to turn off his light. He'll need to remember to buy lightbulbs.

Shane pulls the covers closer to his chin and shivers. His heat should be on-- it's been on all day. Is his whole house falling apart?

He huffs and rolls over. Maybe he can convince Sara to come over in the morning and help him put his life back together. Or at least take him to a doctor. Maybe they can give him something to help with the headaches.

Speaking of which, he feels another one coming. Just a dull pressure behind the eyes, but based on how he's been feeling lately, it's going to get a lot worse. He sits back up and turns the lamp back on. Except his room is still pitch black. "Come on," he mutters rubbing his head. Just his luck. He reaches around, grabs his bottle of pills, and swallows one.

_Having trouble sleeping?_

Shane stiffens. The voice he just heard was... very clear. Is he... hearing things now? Or is he dreaming?

_I promise you... this is not a dream you will wake from._

Okay, so a nightmare. Maybe he can try to wake himself up. Or just... turn it into less of a nightmare. He could do that, right? Like lucid dreaming. It could be a fun experiment.

_It's always an experiment with you, isn't it? Just a game. Something no harm can come from._

"Begone foul beast!" Shane says, adding a British accent for flair. He jumps onto his feet. Maybe he'll trying flying. He's heard about people doing that in dreams. It'd probably be fun. "You cannot touch me!" Shane pushes his feet into the bed and propels himself forward. He laughs as he soars into the air.

_It isn't a game anymore. I will make sure of that_ _._

"Shane!" Ryan knocks on his apartment door again. "Shane, you better answer me!" Ryan steps back and sighs. "Alright! I'm coming in!" Ryan pulls out spare key Shane gave him for emergencies. He never thought he'd have to use it.

The door creaks opens, and Ryan steps in, pulling it shut behind him. Something brushes up against him, and he holds back a scream. "Hi Obi," Ryan says looking down. Obi stares up at him. It's the first time Obi hasn't tried to attack Ryan upon entry. "Where's Shane?"

Obi trots towards Shane's bedroom, and Ryan follows, his chest feeling heavy. He heard from Shane yesterday afternoon. Got his input on which bits to use for the show and made sure he didn't need anything. Shane didn't sound great, but he didn't sound worse than usual.

He's probably just sleeping. He's been napping a lot since he got back. People do that when they have concussions. Shane's probably just sleeping off a headache. Yea, he's just sleeping off a headache.

"Hey big guy." Ryan knocks on Shane's door. There's no answer. "Shane?"

Ryan opens the door. Shane's body is crumbled on the floor next to his bed, his head tucked under his shoulders. "Shit... oh shit!" Ryan kneels down next to Shane and flips him over. "Shane? Shane! Can you hear me?"

"Hmm...?" Shane groans slightly and opens his eyes.

"Oh, thank God," Ryan sighs. He helps Shane back into bed, but Shane keeps swaying and stumbling. It's only five feet away. He shouldn't be struggling this much. He should be getting better, right?

"Ryan... whatcha doing here?" Shane mumbles. He collapses into his bed and pulls his covers up to his chin. "'S cold in here."

"You gotta stay awake big guy," Ryan says. He kneels next to the bed and shakes Shane's shoulder. "What happened?"

"I was... I was flying Ryan." Shane's eyes open and he smiles slightly. "I dreamt I was flying."

This was not at all like Shane. Not sober Shane anyway. He was too spacey and too... something else. It's like he's on drugs or something-- wait, is he?

"Shane, are you taking anything? That the doctor gave you?" Ryan asks.

Shane giggles. "Oh, these?" Shane sits up and fumbles on his nightstand. An empty bottle tumbles off. "Oops."

"Shit," Ryan whispers. "Okay, okay... I'm going to take you to the hospital, alright Shane? Can you stand up?"

Ryan paces the hall, waiting for someone to tell him something. This concussion is really taking it's toll on Shane. He's never been so... out of it before. According the doctors and the prescription bottle Shane had in his room, he was supposed to take no more than one pill every day to help with his headaches. He had enough for two weeks days. Based on what Sara's told him, Shane hadn't taken any last time she'd seen him.

Which meant Shane had taken ten pills over the last two days.

Why would he do that?


	6. I'm Gonna Lock You Up Inside My Body Like a Little Canary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of accidental overdose and hallucinations.

He remembers... he remembers being in bed. He remembers his lamp dying and Obi hiding under the bed. He remembers taking a pill-- one pill, just one... because he wanted to sleep well for once. Because he figured taking one might help him get better and his stubbornness of taking anything stronger than Tylenol was wearing off.

He remembers thinking he was dreaming... and jumping from the bed.

He doesn't remember what happened next. He doesn't remember taking any more pills. He doesn't remember Ryan coming into his room and taking him to the hospital.

He just remembers trying to fly.

_It's not a game anymore._

Shane shivers, looking around. There's no one in the room with him. He doesn't remember most of what happened so far. They gave him an IV earlier, but he only knows that because of the gauze taped to his wrist.

Someone's supposed to give him an examination in a bit. Maybe they can tell him something about the hallucinations. Shane's pretty sure it's not common for a concussion to cause hallucinations, but he did hit his head pretty hard. And maybe it had something to do with the pills... even if he doesn't remember taking them.

_You were in so much pain... I thought maybe I could help. That's what the pills are for, right?_

Fuck this. Literally, fuck this. Shane presses the button to call for the nurse and readjusts himself in the hospital bed. It's hard to get comfortable. Either his feet are hanging off or his heads hanging off.

"Is everything alright Mr. Madej?" a nurse asks walking in. "Can I get you anything?"

"I, um." Shane pauses."I think... I'm experiencing auditory hallucinations. Would I be able to talk to a doctor?"

The nurse smiles slightly. "I'll let Dr. Bryant know, and she'll stop by as soon as possible."

"Thank you." The nurse steps out, closing the door behind her. Shane closes his eyes.

_Dr. Bryant won't be able to help._

"Can you shut up?" Shane snaps. He rubs his eyes. Great, now he's talking to nothing.

"Shane?" The door to his room opens again, and a woman, who must be Dr. Bryant, walks in. She takes the clipboard from the end of his bed and sit down in the chair beside him. "I heard you're experiencing some hallucinations. When did they start?"

Shane sighs. "They started when I got my concussion. Just with sleep paralysis though, which didn't seem too abnormal. But then they started getting worse last night."

"When you overdosed?" Dr. Bryant says it bluntly. Like it's a fact.

It... it is a fact, isn't it? 

"Are they visual or auditory?"

"They started off being visual, just seeing things that weren't there. More like my eyes playing tricks on me. But now they're auditory, and it's a lot... clearer." Shane clears his throat.

Dr. Bryant scribbles on her clipboard. "What are you hearing?"

"Just a voice," Shane says, and winces when he hears himself. He sounds so nonchalant about it. Maybe this is just his new normal.

_I think you're beginning to understand._

"Is it telling you to do anything? Or is it just a voice?"

"It's... just a voice," Shane says shrugging. "It's like someone's trying to have a conversation with me." And being a dick about it.

Dr. Bryant nods. "Shane, once you're more stabilized, I'm going to have you relocated to our psychiatry wing for an evaluation. Most likely, this is just a symptom of your concussion coupled with the overdose. I'd suggest trying to get some sleep if you can." Dr. Bryant stands and places the clipboard on the end of his bed. "I'll be back to check your vitals in the morning."

When she's gone, the room feels too quiet and too dark. Shane would put on the TV, but watching TV would probably give him a headache and after last night, they probably don't want to give him any pain meds.

_I could help you sleep._

"Alright, sure," Shane snorts. "Why not?" He flops onto his back and stretches out.

_All you need to do is let me in._

"You're already in. You're a hallucination created by my brain."

_Just say that you'll let me in... and I'll let you sleep._

This is bullshit... he knows it's bullshit. But maybe if he acknowledges this stupid voice, it'll leave him alone and he can sleep. And that maybe is worth it right now. No harm in talking to his own brain acting out, right?

"Sure... I let you in."

There's this feeling of sinking into his body. Like not into his bed, into his actual body. The room becomes even darker, but two glowing eyes stare into his.

_You should have believed Shane._


	7. I Promise You You Will Regret that Statement

"Mr. Bergara?"

Ryan blinks his open slowly. There's a woman standing in front of him in scrubs. "Dr. Bryant would like to speak with you."

Right. The doctor. Because he's at a hospital. Because Shane...

"Okay," Ryan says. He rubs his eyes and stands, stretching his arms up. "Just... gimme a sec." He yawns. What time is it? There's no windows in the waiting room. It's kind of creepy actually. With all the light and white walls... like time doesn't exist.

"Come with me," she says. Ryan follows her through the hall, shaking his keys in his pocket.

Ryan takes a deep breath. "Is he... you know." He shakes his head.

"Yes, Mr. Madej is stable. He's resting, and when he wakes, we will let you know. For now, it's important that we don't disturb him." She stops outside an office and knocks. "Dr. Bryant? I have Mr. Bergara."

The door opens, and Dr. Bryant smiles at Ryan. "Come in."

There's a window behind her desk. It's gray outside. That means it's morning. And Ryan spent the night sleeping in a hospital. Because Shane--

"Have a seat." Ryan walks in and sits in a chair across from her desk. Instead of sitting behind her desk, Dr. Bryant sits in the chair next to him. "Ryan, correct?"

Ryan nods. Shit, something's wrong. Maybe the nurse was lying. Maybe Shane won't wake up and maybe he's--

"I have some concerns about Shane's mental health. Has he mentioned having hallucinations before?"

Hallucinations? "No, um, he never mentioned anything about hallucinations." Ryan fidgets in his chair. "Is he... okay?"

"Physically, yes. He's very lucky you went to check on him. It possibly saved his life." Dr. Bryant smiles. Why is she smiling? Shane could have died. "However, we are worried about his current mental state. It's... unclear if he overdosed on purpose. He has no memory of doing so."

"But... that's probably just his concussion, right? He probably just forgot he had taken one, and just... kept forgetting." Ryan stares at Dr. Bryant. "Right?" His voice sounds really high. He doesn't even believe himself.

"We can't be sure, which is why we're going to have him evaluated once he wakes up. Either way, we will have to keep him under surveillance for a while. We've already contacted his family..."

She keeps talking. Ryan doesn't understand what she's saying, and you know, maybe he could if the room didn't feel so small and his heart wasn't pounding and he didn't have this awful headache.

They should have never gone to Kansas.

"Hey buddy." Ryan stands at the doorway. "How are you feeling?"

Shane smiles at him. "Like crap. Which is what you look like by the way."

Ryan chuckles. He shouldn't be laughing. It's just easier to laugh. "Very funny big guy. But seriously, how are you doing?"

Shane shrugs. "My head's not hurting as bad. And... um, I slept better than I have in a while." Shane looks so pale. So pale and scared. Like when he was sick of bad hot dogs at their shoot a while back. But this is way worse. "Ry... I'm gonna be honest with you." Shane rubs his head. "I... I think... I think I brought something back with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the hiatus! Posting will probably be sporadic for a while, but I will finish this, that is a promise! Updates will be short, but there may be another one this weekend (fingers crossed).


	8. I'd Be One of the Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane tells Ryan about his experience at Stull Cemetery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is reference to "The Horrors of Pennhurst Asylum".
> 
> Also, I'm back! Things got VERY hectic for me (actually was in a car accident a while back), but it's calming down and I have lots of time on my hands now! Hoping I'll be able to finish this work soon (not soon, cause I wanna draw it out a bit, but ya know).
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos!

"You think... you think you brought something back with you?" Ryan repeats staring at Shane. Sure, Ryan knows that things have followed him home from previous shoots, lurking in the shadows, giving him nightmares till he cleanses himself and his apartment. But Shane? Something really terrifying, really irrefutable would have to happen for Shane to even consider the idea that ghosts and demons are real, let alone that one followed him home. "Are you serious?"

"You've had it happen to you," Shane says. He fidgets with the sheets and looks down. "I... I thought you'd believe me Ry." Ryan stares at Shane. If he couldn't see it was Shane in front of him, he wouldn't believe it. He's so... scared and small. How does a giant look so small?

"It's not that I don't believe you," Ryan says walking into the room and sitting in the chair next to Shane. "It's that... I never thought I'd hear you say that and sound so serious."

Shane's eyes tear up. Ryan puts his hand on Shane's shoulder. "It's been there every night... watching me... taunting me. I can hear it in my head, Ry." Shane shudders. "It... it tells me things. Says things that I don't want to hear." Shane takes a deep breath. "I... I wasn't honest with you guys about the fall... because I didn't believe it at the time. Or even think it was possibility."

Ryan's grip tightens on Shane. "Didn't... didn't think what was a possibility?"

Shane looks up at Ryan. "I think... I think I was pushed. By a demon."

Hell no. HELL NO. Ryan shakes his head and starts to stand. "You need sleep Shane."

Shane grabs Ryan's hands and pulls him closer. "No, Ryan. Watch the footage. You have to-- you have to believe me!" Shane's voice is hysterical, getting louder. Ryan shakes, staring at his friend, not really knowing who he is.

"Mr. Madej!" A nurse runs into the room. "Mr. Madej, we need you to calm down." Ryan watches Shane's eyes open wider. "Sir, I need you to leave." The nurse pulls Ryan free from Shane's grip and shoves him towards the door. Ryan can't move though. His eyes stay fixed on Shane.

"RYAN! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!" The nurse pins Shane's arms down. "LET ME GO! LET GO! LET GO!" Shane's voice breaks. He starts screaming, no longer saying anything comprehensible.

And Ryan still can't make himself look away from the man he doesn't recognize.

Shane's mind is muddled. Well, it's been muddled since he fell, but this... this is new. A peaceful feeling. Almost out of body. Or at least he can't feel his body. Except his mouth. His mouth feels weird. Is his tongue too big for his mouth? His licks his lips. Maybe he just needs water.

"How's he doing?"

"The sedative is working well, but we can't keep him here without surveillance. I think it's best we transport him to the psychiatric unit as soon as the paperwork goes through. They can evaluate him when he arrives."

"Alright. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

A psych unit... that reminds him of something... what was it Ryan said? At Pennhurst? About if he went around talking about ghosts...

Oh yea! "I'd be one of the children."

Shane giggles. "I'm one of the children," he announces to the room.

The room doesn't answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short, but I wanted to post something!


	9. He's Lost His Mind!

"Mr. Madej?"

Shane opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling. He blinks a few times, trying to focus his eyes. Moving his head towards the voice takes a second, and when he finally does, it feels like his brain follows.

"Your paperwork has been put through, and we're going to transfer you to the Psych Ward. Do you think you'll be able to walk?" Shane stares at the woman, her face not only blurry, but lagging. Like she's dropping frames. Maybe the world is dropping frames. "Mr. Madej?" She asked a question. He needs to respond. What was the question? "Alright, wheel chair it is. Sit up for me, and we'll help you into it." He feels himself move. He feels hands steadying him, and he knows he's sitting in the wheelchair... but it's like his mind can't grab onto anything. Like he's not really here. "Let's get you upstairs."

"Ryan?" There's a knock at his apartment door. "We know you're home!" He sits up, grumbling to himself. After Shane's... well, the hospital told him to get home, that Shane wouldn't be able to have visitors. He must have fallen asleep on his couch.

"So help me God, open this door, or I'll kick it down!"

"Just a sec!" he yells back pushing himself off the couch. He stretches his back and rubs his eyes, shuffling his way to the door. As soon as he unlocks it, Jen pushes the door open, grabbing him in a hug. "My boy!" she says, her voice hoarse. Ryan's startled at first, not sure what she's doing here, when even more people start walking in. Adam, both Kelseys... and they wrap their arms around him, joining the hug.

"Now, I know you're not much of a foodie," Steven Lim says walking past them towards the kitchen. He places a giant bag on the counter and starts unpacking giant rolls of tin foil. "I do know though, that you'll never turn down a burrito."

"And of course a good burrito needs a good beer," Andrew adds. Ryan nearly jumps, not having noticed Andrew at first. Of course it would be Andrew that would slip in without him noticing. Ryan starts laughing, stepping away from the hug and looking at all his friends. "Ryan, are you okay?" Kelsey I. asks, tilting her head slightly. He's about to protest, say he's fine, just laughing cause of Andrew. But he doesn't. Cause he realizes he's crying. Hysterically. Oh god, he can't breathe.

"Here, come here," Jen says leading him to the couch. She sits down next to him and smiles slightly. Her eyes are red. "That's better, right?"

Kelsey D. tosses a blanket over, and Jen takes time wrapping it around Ryan. "We'll make you into a burrito. You are what you eat, right?" Ryan laughs, wiping at his eyes. Trying to catch his breath. "I can't believe you guys." Adam walks over, handing Ryan a tissue. Ryan blows his nose, still laughing and crying.

"What... what happened?" Kelsey I. asks sitting down on the coffee table. Adam sits next to her, quiet as ever. Ryan feels like Adam's eyes can see right into him. He's not entirely convinced Adam can't read minds.

"Well... I... I don't know what you know... but Shane accidentally ODed on his painkillers." Ryan takes a deep breath, his shoulders shaking.

"Oh, shit," Kelsey D. says. Steven hands her a beer, as if reading her mind, and immediately Kelsey chugs half of it.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Steven asks sitting down next to Ryan.

Ryan takes another deep breath, his body shaking. He blinks his eyes. "Um, it wasn't just... that... he said something... about a spirit following him home." Kelsey chokes on her beer. She wipes her chin, coughing.

"He what?" Steven nearly shouts. Jen stares at him, as if not believing him. "Shane doesn't believe in ghosts."

Ryan grabs his head, placing it between his knees. "I know he doesn't! But that's what he said... he told me to watch the tape." "...have you?" Andrew asks handing Ryan a beer. Ryan sits up and takes a swig. "I have to ask TJ for it... but I don't know if I want to."

"Would you want one of us to watch it for you?" Jen asks.

Shrugging, Ryan says, "It's... it's Shane though... him falling... none of us should have to see it."

"I'll watch it," Kelsey D. says. She holds up her beer in a mock cheers. "If there's something on it, we know Shane's not insane."

"But what if there isn't something?" Ryan stares at them. "What if he has lost his mind? Or what if there is something? What do we do then?"

"We'll know at least then," Andrew says. "When was the last time you ate?" The last time...? Ryan shrugs again. "Think it's time for burritos then. And afterwards, we can figure out what to do," Andrew says. His eyes are intense, staring right into Ryan's. Not in the same way as Adam's. Not observing him. Just... intense.

"We're here for you, Ryan," Jen says taking his hand and squeezing it. "We'll figure this out together, okay?"

The last hour is a blur. They searched him, thoroughly, and asked a bunch of questions. It didn't feel real. It still doesn't.

Shane sits in his room, on his bed. He can feel the wood underneath the mattress. In his lap are a pair of pants and a shirt. Almost like scrubs, but better than the gown he's wearing.

Shane shakes his head, still feeling sluggish. He might as well get dressed. Slowly, Shane changes into the scrubs. They feel fake... not like actual fabric. Too thin. As he changes, he looks around the room. There's a little dresser next to his bed, with the drawers removed. A little compartment and a bigger one beneath. Next to the door is two tall bookshelves with four compartments each. He throws the hospital gown into one of the compartments and walks into the bathroom to wash his face. His eyes are bloodshot, almost red. Shane splashes water onto his face, staring at his reflection in the metal drilled above the sink. In it, he looks distorted.

_You are distorted Shane._

"SHUT UP!" Shane yells. He grabs the sink, bracing himself against it.

_Look at your eyes Shane._

Shane shakes his head. "Fine," he concedes. He looks back into the mirror, right at his eyes.

His reflection smiles back, it's eyes black.

_You're not in control anymore, don't you realize that?_

Not in control? What the hell does that even-- Shane's hands let go of the sink, without him doing anything.

_See Shane?_

"Big whoop!"

_I can do more... would you like to see?_

"No I don't want to see. I want to go to bed. I'm tired as fuck."

_Oops... too bad._

Shane's nose slams against the sink, his face reappearing in the mirror before he can register the pain, the crunch he heard, the blood dripping from his nose down his chin.

His reflection smiles and laughs. Is he... is he laughing too?

_I think we'd have more fun somewhere else, wouldn't you agree?_


	10. You're Fucking Crazy Shane

"Would you guys..." Ryan takes a deep breath. "Would you guys be okay with watching it now?"

Andrew looks up from his beer. "Do you have a copy?"

Ryan shakes his head. "TJ has a digital copy. I'm sure if I ask, he'd send it."

"Ask away," Kelsey D. says taking another swig of beer.

Jen nudges Ryan. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"She's right. Once you watch this, there's no going back," Andrew agrees.

Ryan nods. "I need to know. I just... I have to make sure."

"What if... what if there's nothing there?" Steven says. His voice is soft.

Ryan shakes his head. "I'm not sure... but I have to see it. Just to make sure." Ryan pulls out his phone and sends TJ an e-mail asking for the footage.

Kelsey I. puts her hand on his knee, smiling slightly. "Anything we can do in the meantime?"

Ryan shrugs. He chugs the rest of the beer. Kelsey D. gets up and passes him a new one before he can ask for another. "It's just... Shane never believed in this stuff. What does it mean that he does now?"

"That's why it's good he's getting help now," Kelsey D. says. "Maybe the concussion messed up his head, but the sooner he gets treated, the easier it will be for him to get better."

"Yea!" Jen agrees. "And also he was on those pain meds, right? Those fuck you up." Jen wraps her arm around Ryan and he laughs.

Ryan checks his phone. "Alright... TJ sent a copy of the video. Let me get my laptop, so we can watch it."

"No can-do. You're in burrito mode. I'll get it." Steven hops off the couch. "Where is it?"

"Desk in my room." Ryan wraps his arms around him, twisting his fingers together. What if there's something there? What if there's _nothing _there?

Either way sounds awful.

"Here you go!" Steven jumps over the back of the couch and places the laptop on Ryan's lap. Adam and Kelsey I. move behind the couch, everybody's eyes on the screen as Ryan logs in and opens the e-mail from TJ.

_Is this what you imagined it'd be like?_

"Losing my mind?" Shane says. He touches his nose and winces. "No, I imagined when I went crazy I'd be an old man living alone, screaming at people to get off my lawn."

_No Shane. You haven't lost your mind. It's still there._

"I'm hearing voices, I'm seeing things, I'm losing control of my actions, doing things without thinking. I think I'd consider that losing my mind."

_But what would Ryan call it?_

"Ryan? Why does that matter?" Shane doesn't remember seeing Ryan. Apparently he stopped by... but Shane doesn't remember seeing him.

_Because Ryan would understand what this is... because you're not crazy Shane. I'm right here._

Shane's eyes turn black again, his smile seems... wrong. His teeth are... sharp?

_Can you really deny what your eyes show you?_

"I can when what they show me isn't real."

_I underestimated how stubborn you'd be._

"Ha! Must not really know me then."

_I don't need to know you. You see, Shane, I'm in control. It doesn't matter what you think. You let me in._

"Oooh, so scary!" Shane snorts.

_You can't hide your fear from me. I can see all your fears, and you're afraid of me. Afraid of what I'll make you do._

"Ah, so close!" Shane jokes. "I'm not afraid of what you'll make me do. I'm afraid of what _I'll_ do. Because I've apparently lost my fucking mind!"

_Not yet. But I will make sure that your mind is one of the things I take from you._

Ryan presses play, holding his breath.

Shane talks aloud to himself, planning his revenge, and Ryan laughs out loud. His heart is pounding. This is the last time he saw Shane like he used to be. Even tired and pissed off, he looks better.

The image shakes as Shane loses his balance. "Shit!" Shane yells. "Guys!" Hel-"

The phone clatters to the floor cutting off any visual. Ryan pauses it and sighs.

Adam reaches past Ryan and rewinds the video. "Adam, what are you?"

"Watch it again." Adam turns up the brightness, slows down the video, and presses play.

It starts where the image starts to shake, right before the phone starts to fall. Adam pauses it, and zooms it.

Ryan almost screams, his mouth is dry. Because where before he saw nothing, there's a hand reaching out. It blends into the background so well, Ryan can't understand how Adam even saw it.

But there's a hand. A dark hand with long, black nails, reaching for Shane. Like it's about to pull him down.

"Oh shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support! I'm hoping to try updating a bit more regularly, but aside from everything happening in the world, I've been in treatment for Lyme for a few months and still have trouble focusing. So no promises on a timeline, but I'm determined to finish this story!


	11. I Wanna Be Swept Up in This

"Adam." Ryan's voice breaks. "How did you even..."

Adam shrugs. "There was a change. I couldn't tell what it was, but I knew I saw something."

"Wow," Steven says. He leans over, isolating and brightening the image. Ryan shudders, but it doesn't revel anything else. "This is... crazy."

Ryan rubs his head and sighs. "I've always been after proof... always wanted to rub it in Shane's face that ghosts are real... but this... god, this isn't... this isn't worth it." He takes a deep breath, his body shaking. He closes his eyes and sees that hand... that hand that shouldn't exist. That Shane got on video... That Shane got attacked by.

Ryan shuts the laptop, his hands shaking. "Ryan?" Jen asks. She nudges him. "It's gonna be okay."

"No, it's not!" Ryan kicks his legs, shaking free from the blankets. He jumps up, pacing around the room. "Shane's lost his mind! He's in a hospital right now because of me! Because of this stupid show! Because I _had_ to prove that ghosts were real."

"Ryan..." Andrew takes a deep breath. "Are you sure Shane wasn't actually followed home... by a ghost?"

"You said it's happened to you," Kelsey I says.

Ryan shakes his head and stops pacing. "I guess... it's possible."

Jen stands up and wraps her arm around his shoulder, standing on tip toe to do so. "Would you want one of us to go down to the hospital with you tomorrow to visit him?"

He nods slowly. Jen pulls him in for a hug, and Ryan feels like he should be crying. Why isn't he crying?

"Look, buddy, tomorrow, I'm gonna see the psychiatrist. They're gonna prescribe me something that's gonna get rid of you, and I'm gonna get better, alright?"

_Oh, it really won't be that simple, Shane. And we could stick around to wait, but that wouldn't be as much fun._

"I disagree. I think it would be _tremendously_ fun to stick around and start my meds and stop hallucinating and talking to the little bitch voice in my head."

_That hurts Shane._ _It really does._ It's just a voice, but it feels like it's smirking. Shane turns on the water and splashes it on his face. _But I think I know something that'll hurt more._

"It's getting late," Andrew says looking at his watch. "Are you going to be okay if some of us head out?"

"Yea, yea, I'll be fine." Ryan takes another sip of beer. _No_, he wants to say. _I will not be fine and would like to have all of you sleep over and help me burn sage to cleanse my whole house._

Jen leans against Ryan as she offers, "I can stay."

"Me too," Kelsey D says.

Jen looks at the other Kelsey. "You up for staying, or do you have to get home?"

Kelsey I sighs and says, "I slacked on editing today and have a lot of work to catch up on tomorrow. I should probably get home, so I can get a good night's sleep and head in early."

Ryan stands to say good-bye to his friends. "Seriously guys, thank you so much."

"We'll be back again tomorrow," Steven promises. "How does pizza sound?"

Ryan laughs. "Sounds perfect." He opens the door, waving bye as they head down the hall.

By the time he closes it, Jen and Kelsey have already started cleaning up. "Don't worry about it, I can take care of it," he says going to the counter and start putting the leftover burritos in the fridge. Steven and Andrew brought way too many for everyone, but now he'll have burritos for lunch. Hopefully they don't go overboard with the pizza. Ryan wouldn't mind having some leftovers, but if they keep visiting with this much food, he'll never finish it all.

Jen chucks some beer bottles into his recycling bin. "Eh, it's fine. It'll go faster this way."

"You should take off tomorrow," Kelsey says. "This is way too much shit going on for you to have to go into work and plan your next supernatural encounter."

Ryan shudders. "I think I've had enough supernatural encounters... maybe you're right. I could use some time off. I just... can't believe this."

Jen snorts. "You? Can't believe something supernatural happened?"

"You know what I mean." Ryan grabs his beer from the table and dumps out the rest. It's too warm to enjoy anyway. "It's just... crazy."

Kelsey pulls out fresh beers from the fridge and pops off the tabs. She hands one to Ryan. "I think you might need this."

Ryan laughs. "I never say no to a brewsky." He takes a sip of it. "Thank you guys. I'm pretty terrified, and I think if I were home alone, I'd lost my freaking mind."

Someone knocks at the door. "One of them must have forgotten something," Jen says.

"Steven probably wants his burritos back," Kelsey jokes.

Ryan heads to the door and says, "Shouldn't have left them here if he didn't want me to eat them all." He opens the door, and drops the beer from his hand.

Shane stands in the hall outside the door. His clothes are soaking wet and his hair is sticking up in every direction. There's a giant gash on his forehead, and it's bleeding and is that _glass_ stuck in it. And there's scrapes and blood dripping down his arm to his fingers and when he raises his hand to grab the doorframe, his knuckles are bruised and bleeding.

"Shane? What the fuck happened?"

"Oh, hey Ry," Shane says. "Good to see you." His eyes roll back and he crashes to the floor.


	12. What is Wrong with You?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of blood and wounds

"Holy fuck!" Ryan shouts. He kneels next to Shane. "Shane, wake up!"

"Ryan, we gotta call the hospital," Kelsey says. She grabs paper towels and a bottle of vodka.

"Whoa, Kelsey, what the fuck--?" Before Ryan can stop her, Kelsey flips Shane over and pours the vodka over the gash in his forehead. Ryan expects Shane to scream, or wake up, or curse, but he doesn't move.

Kelsey pours more vodka over the cuts on his hands. "Gotta sanitize the wounds." She starts to rub the blood off with the paper towels.

"Kels, it might help if the paper towels were wet," Jen suggests.

"Oh, right." Kelsey pours more vodka on the paper towels and keeps rubbing at the cuts.

Jen rolls her eyes. "That's not what I meant."

Ryan puts his fingers on Shane's pulse. "He's... his pulse is fine."

"I'll call the hospital." Jen pulls out her phone.

"NO!" Shane's eyes snap open, and he sits up, wobbling slightly. "I can't go back to the hospital." He turns to Ryan, his eyes wide. "Ry, you have to believe me. I'm not crazy."

Ryan stares at Shane. At the glass stuck in his forehead, at the smeared blood on his arms, the dark circles under his eyes...

The video... the hand...

"I believe you Shane," Ryan says. He looks at Kelsey and Jen. "But you're hurt. Like really bad."

Shane frowns. "I don't feel hurt."

"There's... there's a literal piece of glass sticking out of your head," Ryan says.

Shane reaches up and gently touches the piece of glass. "Oh." His voice is soft. His fingers close around the glass.

"Holy shit Shane! No!" But Ryan can't stop Shane from pulling the glass out. More blood starts to pour out.

"I'll get some gauze," Jen says running to the bathroom.

"Top shelf of the medicine cabinet!" Ryan yells back. Kelsey presses paper towel to the gash on Shane's head.

Shane stares down at the shard of glass in his hand. It had been clear, but now it was stained pink and red. It was almost half the size of his hand. His hand, which was still bleeding. There were little bits of glass stuck in his knuckles that Ryan could see now.

"Shane... are you sure we can't take you to the hospital?" Ryan asks softly.

Shane shakes his head. "If I go back, they won't let me out again. And Ry... there's something... with me... I know you believe me."

"I do Shane, but your hands and your head. Like, this is so much fucking blood."

Jen kneels next to Ryan and looks at Shane's knuckles. "And glass. Those pieces are too small for us to get out."

"We'll worry about that later," Shane says.

Kelsey comes back with her arms full of gauze, medical tape, tweezers, paper towels, and actual hydrogen peroxide instead of vodka. She drops them next to Shane and sits down. "Nope. We're gonna worry about that now." She pours the peroxide onto the tweezers and starts picking out pieces of glass and dropping them onto the paper towels. "Ryan, make yourself useful and put some gauze on his head."

Ryan takes some gauze and tape and starts covering the wound on Shane's head. It's still bleeding heavily. "Shane, do you seriously not feel any pain?" Ryan asks, his voice shaking.

"Should I?" Shane's voice is quiet, but steady. Like he's not afraid, but rather curious. It's creepy as hell, Ryan decides.

Watching Kelsey try to pull out the pieces of glass is making Ryan feel like he's gonna puke. She's trying her best to be gentle, but she seems more focused on getting the glass out than not hurting Shane. Which makes sense because he doesn't seem to flinch no matter how deep she digs the tweezers in.

"This was easier in my head," Kelsey huffs.

Ryan closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "If we can't send you back to the hospital, what do we do?" He opens his eyes, watching Shane closely. His face is blank, almost unreadable.

"I have to get rid of the spirit that's attached to me," Shane says. His voice is too even. Too believing. Ryan expected some hesitancy when Shane was confronted with the supernatural, a lot of skepticism, and some sarcasm, even once he found proof that even Shane had to believe. This is worse somehow. Seeing Shane believe wholeheartedly.

"Alright, so we find a priest. I've done this before. I can call someone to bless you and cleanse your house." This is familiar. Ryan can work with this. They'll get this sorted and then Shane can get help. Medical help. Because he's not crazy. Ryan saw the hand. Saw the video. So why does this feel wrong?

Shane sighs. "I don't think that's gonna cut it. I think... I think I have to go back."

"Go back?" Ryan repeats slowly. Kelsey stops, freezing with the tweezers resting on Shane's hand. Jen takes Ryan's hand in hers and squeezes it. Ryan's voice rises, his chest feeling tight. "Why would we have to go back?"

"I think it just wants me... to pay respects," Shane explains. "And then it'll leave me alone."

Ryan feels his whole body tense, the singular thought _HELL NO_ coursing through him. He laughs. Jen's grip tightens. "Fuck no, Shane. That doesn't make any sense."

"We have to go back, Ry." Shane reaches out, grabbing Ryan's shoulders. His eyes stare in Ryan's, but he doesn't seem scared. There's only been a few times Ryan's seen Shane actually scared. This isn't it. And if Ryan looked close enough... he felt like it wasn't really Shane.

"Shane." Ryan's voice is low. Strained. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Ryan stares at Shane, waiting. Jen shifts closer to Ryan. Kelsey still seems frozen.

Shane shakes his head slowly, his eyes downcast. "Ryan... I thought you'd be the one to understand... you know more about this stuff than me. I just... I just want it to be over..." His voice is softer than Ryan's ever heard it. Almost sorrowful. "Maybe you're right though... can we talk about it more later? I'm just... I'm so tired."

"Of course big guy," Ryan says. He squeezes Jen's hands, not letting go just yet.

Kelsey snaps out of her shock and says, "Let me just get a few more bits out and disinfect and cover it, yea?" Shane nods, his eyes drooping, like all his strength has been sapped.

Jen pats Ryan's back and helps him stand up. She leads him to the kitchen and opens a new beer for him. Ryan takes it and gulps it down. "We can stay over tonight if you want us to," Jen says grabbing another beer for herself. She takes a sip, her hands shaking.

Ryan nods, and downs the rest of the beer. "I just... I don't know what to do Jen." Ryan looks at Shane, his eyes closed now even as Kelsey continues to pull bits of glass from him. Like he can't even feel anything. "Like I feel like I should call an ambulance because he's not okay and probably should have actual medical attention... but what we saw... the video... what if he's not crazy? And locking him up in a hospital just makes it worse because it is real and no amount of meds or doctors is gonna change that?"

Jen closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "You know I'm not as much of a believer as you. And neither is Kelsey and Shane is definitely not gonna believe in anything supernatural without concrete proof... Ry... I hate to say this... but I think this is real. I think there really is a spirit attached to Shane."


	13. My Big Pal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally had the motivation to update! Wanted to do this a lot sooner. Hoping I can make and stick to a schedule.

"You really think a spirit's attached to him?" Ryan repeats, staring at Jen. She nods. "Fuck... so this isn't just me being insane or Shane being insane?"

Jen takes another gulp of beer and swallows it slowly. "If I didn't see that video... I'd probably think he's acting this way because he's concussed... but Ryan, it's like his personality has done a full 180." Ryan looks towards the door, where Kelsey is still picking bits of glass from Shane, who's eyes are closed. He should be in pain, right? "Is there someone you can call, to bless him or whatever?"

Ryan nods and runs his hand through his hair. "Yea, there's a guy who's done cleansing for me. I can call him tomorrow morning and see what he says."

"Kelsey and I can stay with you if you want. I know you don't have a lot of room or whatever, but Shane can take the guest bed and Kelsey and I will figure something out," Jen says. She's smiling, but her eyes are too wide, too scared.

"Thanks Jen. I'll grab some extra blankets for you guys."

"And we will make a blanket nest," Jen says raising her beer. "We'll be right out here if you need us."

"If you guys don't make a blanket fort, I'll be very disappointed," Ryan says laughing.

Jen waves her hands wildly and slams door the beer. "Oh my god! Why didn't I think of that? Kelsey, we're making a blanket fort!"

Kelsey looks up from Shane and pumps her fist in the air. "Fuck yea we are!" Even Shane chuckles slightly at the two of them.

"Well, let me get the building materials for you," Ryan jokes. He heads to the closet and grabs armfuls of blankets and sheets. The guest bed is already made. "Here you go!" He dumps the blankets unceremoniously on the couch.

"Alright!" Kelsey pats Shane's shoulder. "That's the best I can do!" Shane examines his hands which Kelsey has somewhat haphazardly wrapped. They have to get him to a hospital or doctor soon though. There's no way Kelsey was able to get all the glass and if the wounds get infected... well, considering how much vodka Kelsey poured on him, the cuts are probably as clean as they can get.

Jen walks over and ruffles Shane's hair. He smiles slightly. "Let's get you to bed." Jen leads Shane to the guest bedroom.

Ryan plops onto the couch and sighs. Kelsey glances at him. "Gimme a sec to clean up all this shit." He tries to ignore all the blood and glass bits near Kelsey and closes his eyes and she cleans up the corner. After a bit, she sits down next to him and sighs. "Oh my god, I should've been a surgeon." Ryan laughs and opens his eyes. Her face is a little pale. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm ready to pass the fuck out, so we can deal with this tomorrow, but... I really don't think I'll be able to sleep," Ryan says.

Kelsey punches his arm and says, "Good thing you'll help us with the blanket fort."

Jen runs and jumps over the back of couch, landing on her stomach with her feet up. "Blanket fort!" Ryan laughs again. For a while, he's able to forget about Shane as Jen directs them and they run around hanging blankets from the couch and chairs and making a nest of pillows and blankets, and the three of them are laughing and throwing pillows until Ryan's doubled over laughing.

It takes a while for them to settle into the fort, and it's not as comfy as his bed, but it's snug and cozy with his friends. "Guys, thank you so much for staying. Like, I don't know what I'd do..."

Jen punches his shoulder and grins at him. "What else were we gonna do? And now we have an excuse to go in late tomorrow!"

"I'm just gonna take off. And I'll call Sara tomorrow, so she can be filled in. I don't know if the hospital will call her to let her know Shane's missing, but I hope they'll wait because she needs a night to not worry."

"What about you?" Kelsey asks. She stares at him, hard. When she stares, her eyes always get really intense.

Ryan sighs and nestles into the blankets further. "I'll get off tomorrow night. We'll get someone to cleanse Shane or whatever..." Cleanse... not exorcise... right? "And then he'll go back to the hospital for a bit, but he'll be okay."

"Well," Jen slings her arm over his shoulder and he giggles, "tonight you get off. If Shane needs anything, Kelsey and I can take care of it. You just try to sleep."

Ryan smiles at the until he thinks about it. "This almost feels like when I sleep on location... I'm too on edge. I don't think I can relax enough to sleep."

"Then we can stay up all night binging stupid movies until you finally fall asleep," Jen says. She slips out of the blanket fort and comes back with Ryan's laptop.

Ryan takes it from her and opens Netflix. "Alright, what movie?"

The three of them debate what stupid movie to watch for almost fifteen minutes before they settle on a really bad rom com. They make fun of the movie until Ryan starts to doze. He listens to Jen and Kelsey mock the characters and make fun of continuity errors. Ryan curls further into the blankets, cozy between his two friends until finally he falls asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Sources:  
WeekinWeird (http://weekinweird.com/2016/06/05/the-enduring-legend-of-stull-cemetery-a-very-weird-visit-to-americas-most-famous-gateway-to-hell/)  
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stull,_Kansas)  
WeirdUs (http://www.weirdus.com/states/kansas/stories/gateway_to_hell/)  
Some details surrounding the tree are fabricated to embellish the story or fill in gaps from research.


End file.
